Even if we’re not confused about nutrition, it can be challenging to put what we know into practice. We want to lose weight but not be hungry; we want to lower our cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure but still eat the foods that created those problems to begin with. We want to eat better, but somehow living gets in the way.

Initially we might feel better when we eat badly—we might get a sugar high or a feeling of immediate gratification by eating or drinking something we like the taste of. We eat to relieve stress, to relieve fatigue, to comfort ourselves, to accompany the alcohol we drink, to please others, to be included in family gatherings and social situations, to celebrate our heritage—we eat for almost any reasons other than health and nutrition.